Proposal sees electric vehicles in, petrol and diesel out by 2030.

Greens call for ban on combustion engines

Proposal sees electric vehicles in, petrol and diesel out by 2030.

Greens call for ban on combustion engines

14 Mar 2018David McCowen

The Greens party has called for an electric vehicle revolution in Australia, proposing a ban on sales of petrol, diesel and hybrid models by 2030.

Should the Greens be in power following federal elections for the House of Representatives to be held before November 2, 2019, the party will implement what it describes as “a plan to drive the rapid phase-in of electric vehicles”. While that seems unlikely, the plan points to increased attention surrounding vehicles, emissions and Australia’s future transport needs.

It calls for “100 per cent of new car sales being Zero Emission Vehicles by 2030” – a sweeping ban that looks to include low emission hybrid and plug-in-hybrid and electric vehicles with fossil-fuelled “range extender” generators on a list of prohibited vehicles.

Before then, the environmentally-conscious party wants to introduce a carbon emissions standard of 105 grams per kilometre in CO2 by 2022, penalising vehicles which use more than about 4.5L/100km of petrol. Car companies would be required to meet sales targets attached to zero emissions vehicles, and the party would establish a $151 million fund for EV infrastructure.

Australians should have the opportunity to be part of the global electric vehicle revolution, as part of an economy that works for all of us and our future. pic.twitter.com/1wZQ8JkXfF

The policy calls for the removal of five per cent import duties, 10 per cent GST and stamp and registration duties for electric cars, as well as free registration costs for the first three years of ownership.

Under those changes, Tesla’s entry-level Model S 75D sedan would drop from its current price of between $124,218 and $131,931 drive-away (which varies state-by-state) to around $108,000. Those incentives would be paid for by a new 17 per cent fossil fuel tax - on top of the existing 33 per cent luxury car tax - on all light vehicles over $65,000.

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Working in parallel with the existing luxury car tax, the new fossil fuels tax would apply to 17 per cent of every dollar over $65,000, which would push the price of a diesel Toyota Prado Kakadu up by $3313, from $84,490 to $87,803 plus on-road costs.

High-end cars such as the BMW’s $199,900 M5 would jump to $222,833 including around $23,000 in luxury fossil fuel car tax, $31,000 in luxury car tax, $14,500 in GST and $7500 in import duties.

The Greens currently hold one of 150 seats in the House of Representatives and nine of 76 seats in the upper house, making it difficult for the party to implement sweeping policy changes.

But Federal Environment and Energy minister Josh Frydenberg, a Coalition member, is on the record as saying Australian electric car sales will boom in the short to medium term. In an editorial opinion piece for Fairfax Media, Frydenberg said the number of electric vehicles on local roads could increase from 4000 cars today to one million by 2030.

Tell us what you think about the Greens Party's proposed electric car plan in the comments below

2018 Toyota Landcruiser Prado Kakadu

Comments4

Deep Thought — 14 Mar 2018 17:06

Sad really, the Greens started out as a sensible party who actually cared for the environment and tried to do something about it - now look at the pathetic policies they pout. According to a 4- Corners episode they are run by a loony tunes bureaucracy in Sydney who don't give a rats behind about the environment, only their sad sorry political futures.